Just Me and Emily
by MariCareBear
Summary: Amy rolls into Everwood with a bruised cheek, heart and a daughter in tow, will Ephram be able to help Amy put her life back together? And can Amy help Ephram learn that sometimes love doesn't hurt?
1. Just Me and Emily

Amy stares hard against the rain coming down in waves on the road in front of her.  
  
~*~Floorboard's filled with baby toys,  
  
An' empty coke bottles an' coffee cups~*~  
  
In the silence of the night the coke cup rattling in the broken cup holder is annoying to Amy, grabbing the bottle she tosses it onto the all ready trashed floor of the car, three days nearly straight in a car trash built up easily.  
  
~*~Drivin' through the rain with no radio,  
  
Tryin' not to wake her up~*~  
  
Amy almost ached from the silence, anything would be nice to get her mind off of the reason why she had been in the car for three days, but glancing over into the passenger seat she knows that turning the radio on would wake her sleeping passenger.  
  
~*~Cell 'phone says "low battery"  
  
God, what if I break down?~*~  
  
The cell phone beeping startles Amy and grabbing it quickly she lets out a length breath the low battery sign if flashing and she doesn't have a car charger, it just figured, and with this hunk of junk she constantly ran the risk that it was going to break down.  
  
~*~I'm just lookin' for an exit with a lotta lights,  
  
A safe little interstate town~*~  
  
When she left she'd had no idea where she was going, she still had no idea where she was going. For that matter she had no idea where she was, but right now she would be content for some sign of life in the middle of nowhere, so that she could pull over out of the storm and get some sleep.  
  
~*~Just a cheap hotel,  
  
With a single bed  
  
And cable TV:  
  
Is good enough for me an' Emily~*~  
  
She didn't need anywhere nice, she just needed somewhere that had a bed she and Emily could share, instead of sleeping in the car. And Emily was getting bored, Amy hadn't brought anything to entertain Emily with and a TV would keep her entertained until Amy could figure out what she was doing.  
  
~*~Some day, when she's old enough,  
  
She's gonna start askin' questions about him~*~  
  
I only three days Amy had all ready started to think in advance what this would do to her fragile four-year-old, what she would actually remember about her father in the future.  
  
~*~Some kid at school brings his Dad for show an' tell,  
  
An' gets her little mind a-wonderin':  
  
"Where's my Daddy? Do I have one?  
  
"Does he not love me like you do?"~*~  
  
Amy had all ready started thinking about what she was going to tell her daughter about her father and why he wasn't with them. And every time had something figured out it just sounded stupid.  
  
~*~Oh, maybe I'll find someone to love the both of us,  
  
An' I'll tell her when she's old enough to know the truth~*~  
  
In only three days Amy had even entertained the idea of finding someone knew, her divorce wasn't even started and she was trying to find the fairy tale ending, but deep down Amy knew enough about life to know that there was no such thing as fairy tale endings. People died. People went away. And the people left standing got hurt.  
  
~*~Will it break her heart?  
  
Will she understand,  
  
That I had to leave?  
  
That's what was best for me an' Emily~*~  
  
Amy knew that her daughter didn't understand now why she had to leave but she wondered if in the future the truth would hurt her daughter, or if she would even understand why Amy had to take here away from her father.  
  
~*~That house was never clean enough; his dinner never warm enough.  
  
Nothing I did was ever good enough to make him happy  
  
So, I guess, he gave me what he thought I deserved~*~  
  
Marcus always came home in a bad mood and everything Amy did made him angry, how many times had she written his abusive words off as job related stress? How many times had she blamed the broken dinner plates and the food on the wall on a troublesome client? She even excused the bruises on her cheeks and arms, his homes life had been bad growing up he didn't have a good example.  
  
~*~But it would kill me if he ever raised his hand to her~*~  
  
And then he had yelled at Emily for spilling her milk and Amy knew that she couldn't stay there, she couldn't risk putting her daughter in his path too. So that was why while he was at work she'd gotten together as many clothes as possible and hurriedly gotten out of town.  
  
~*~Big rigs are throwin' rain on my windshield,  
  
An' I feel like they're laughin' at me~*~  
  
Amy's thoughts are breaking her concentration on the road and she is going under the speed limit so that even the big rigs are passing her and adding to the water the windshield wiper is fighting. Amy feels so vulnerable that she can almost feel their laughing eyes on her bruised cheek and instinctively she touches her cheek with her hand.  
  
~*~Fin'lly the storm is lettin' up,  
  
An' the mornin' is breakin' free~*~  
  
Almost in an instant she the storm begins to let up to a light drizzle and on the horizon she can see the sunrise attempting to break through the dark clouds.  
  
~*~It's a brand new day,  
  
It's a second chance~*~  
  
Whenever she got where she was going she'd be able to figure out what to do, she was strong and she would get through this.  
  
~*~Yesterday is just a memory,  
  
For me an' Emily~*~  
  
Marcus' abusive words and rough hands were no longer a part of her life, she and Emily were going to find a better life somewhere.  
  
~*~Least there's one good thing that he gave me,  
  
An' she's startin' to wake up~*~  
  
Amy couldn't completely hate Marcus' she realizes as she glances over at a yawning Emily, because he had given her the one thing that could keep her strong.  
  
"Mommy are we there yet?" Emily was the one thing that was going to get Amy through everything and their life was just starting.  
  
The first chapter is a song fic but the rest of the story isn't...just fyi! 


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One  
  
"What's wrong Mommy?" Emily asks when Amy pulls along side the road in front of a sign welcoming them to a town just 12 short hours later.  
  
"Nothing, I just didn't mean to be here." Amy responds staring at the WELCOME TO EVERWOOD, she didn't even understand how she had gotten here. Sure she had just been driving but she would assume that she would recognize when she was getting close to the town she had grown up in.  
  
"Are we gonna go in into this town?" Emily asks. "'cause I'm hungry."  
  
"Do you know where we are Emily?" Amy asks.  
  
Emily shakes her head, "uh-huh, where?'  
  
"We are in the town that I grew up in."  
  
"Where my never met grandparents live?" Emily questions.  
  
Amy nods, "that's right, you've never met my parents before. But you will today, right now."  
  
"Really?" Emily smiles, "it's like an adventure!"  
  
Amy offers her daughter a weak smile, she didn't understand what Amy hadn't spoken to her parents in over six years not since she had married Marcus against their wishes. Rose and Harold Abbot and Marcus Gibbs had made her choose between them and Amy had obviously made the wrong choice. "Yes," Amy whispers, "like an adventure.'  
  
She travels down the familiar roads noticing that in six years nothing had changed, all of the same shops were there with the same people running them. Instinct took over once she pulled into her parents neighborhood and she would have been sitting in front of their hours for hours if Emily hadn't unbuckled her seatbelt the instant Amy had stopped the car. "Whoa, slow down there." Amy urges catching up with daughter on the passenger side of the car. "Okay, let me get look at you." Amy kneels down in front of Emily, gently touching her shoulder length dark brown hair and straightening her red gingham dress. "You ready to go in?"  
  
"Yup!" Emily announces.  
  
"All right," Amy straightens and Emily slips her hand into her mother's, "let's go."  
  
Upon reaching the front door Amy knocks briefly and waits nervously for the door to be answered. Within seconds the door is pulled open by a young woman that Amy doesn't recognize, blushing Amy responds, "I'm sorry...I uh have the wrong house."  
  
"Are you Amy?" The girl inquires looking at her closely.  
  
"Um, yeah how'd you know?" Amy asks tightening her grip on Emily's hand.  
  
"I'm Noelle, Bright's wife, there are pictures of you all over the house. Are you looking for your parents?"  
  
Amy nods, "yeah are they around?"  
  
"Yeah, they are just sitting around and drinking coffee. Come in." Noelle gives Amy a tentative smile and moves aside to let Amy and Emily pass through. "They're in the living room."  
  
"Noelle, who is it?" Bright's voice rings through into the entrance way and slowly Amy follows Noelle into the living room.  
  
"Oh my God, Amy." Rose and Harold are on their feet the instant the words come out of Rose's mouth.  
  
"Amy?" Bright's face has pure shock written across it as he looks between Amy's face and Emily, and for the first tie Amy realize that she didn't apply her usual amount of coverup.  
  
Rose quickly crosses the space between herself and Amy and without another word she hugs Amy tightly to her and then urging, "come in. Come in."  
  
Rose leads Amy over to the couch and Emily follows slowly and sits next to Amy. Amy clears her throat and states, "this is my daughter Emily Rose, Emily this is your Grandma Rose, your Grandpa Harold, Uncle Bright and Aunt Noelle."  
  
Emily smiles, "nice to meet you!"  
  
"Well it's nice to meet you." Rose smiles at her granddaughter, but Amy can see the concern in her mother's eyes.  
  
"So Amy you're going to be staying here tonight, correct?" Harold's tone hasn't changed in six years.  
  
"I hadn't really thought about it," Amy responds her eyes glued to her hands.  
  
"Well of course you will, we'll have your old room fixed up for you." Harold states, "right Rose?"  
  
"Of course!" Rose responds, "I'll do it right now."   
  
"No, let me take care of it Rose." Noelle stands up, "Emily do you want to come with me to see where your mom's room used to be?"  
  
"Sure!" Emily jumps to her feet and takes the hand that Noelle offers her.  
  
"Noelle's a kindergarten teacher, she's really good with kids." Bright assures Amy.  
  
"So, uh, it's all right that I stay here tonight?" Amy asks, "we're only passing through."  
  
"Of course it is Amy," Rose responds, "we didn't cut you out of our lives completely."  
  
Amy bites her lip, "actually you did."  
  
"We didn't mean permanently." Harold responds, "we all say somethings that we didn't mean to says. It all should have been put behind us a long time ago..."  
  
"But I disappeared." Amy sighs.   
  
"And had a baby." Rose comments.  
  
"Emily is four, and she's Marcus' baby, I know that's what you are wondering."  
  
"No," Bright speaks up, "I was wondering where the asshole is so I could kick his ass."  
  
"Bright!" Rose exclaims.  
  
"What? We were all thinking it, I just said it." Bright states.  
  
"Amy you can stay here as long as you like," Rose states glaring at her son. "And we won't ask questions until you are ready to talk about them."  
  
Amy smiles appreciatively at her mother, "thanks."  
  
"We're going to breakfast with the Browns in the morning, do you want to come?" Rose asks.  
  
Amy's eyes go wide, "the Browns?"  
  
"Ephram won't be there." Bright states, "he's living in New York still."  
  
Amy shrugs, "then I guess it should be fine."  
  
"Good." Harold states, "we're supposed to meet them at 9:30."  
  
Amy nods, "okay. I uh, think Emily and I are going get to bed early neither one of us have slept well in awhile."  
  
"Okay, good night Amy." Rose, Harold and Bright chorus as she slips upstairs without saying anything else. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
Amy woke up the next morning more rested than she had been in what felt like years and within seconds of opening her eyes Amy realizes that Emily's dark eyes are boring into her. "Good morning." Amy greets.  
"Mornin' sleepy head."  
"Did I sleep late?"  
"Uh-huh," Emily nods, "real, real late."  
Amy glances over at the clock shocked to see that it was 7:30, she hadn't slept that late in years. She was usually up at 4:30 to make a hot breakfast for Marcus before he went to work at 6:45, "I did sleep late, I'm sorry. How long have you been up?"  
"Looong time..." Emily utters solemnly.  
"You didn't wake up anyone did you?" Amy asks already knowing the answer to that question, her daughter could be silent as a mouse.  
"Un-huh." Emily shakes her head, "nope. Can I get dressed yet?"  
Emily loved clothes, and she had a lot of them, Marcus always seemed to be under the impression that gifts were the way to win back the love of his daughter and wife. "Yeah, we have to go downstairs and get your clothes though, they are still in the car." Emily had been asleep the time her head hit the pillow the night before just after Noelle finished making the bed and Amy had been both to exhausted to change her out of her dress or to even think about bringing their bags up. "You wait right here and I'll go down and get out suitcases."  
"Okay," Emily whispers nodding.  
Amy quietly slips out of her own room knowing from the silence in the house that no one else is up quickly she grabs both her and Emily's duffel bags and sets them down taking in the scene around her. She'd forgotten in all the years she's been away just how much she had loved it in Everwood, how peaceful the scenery could make you feel no matter how you were feeling on the inside. Taking a deep breath of the cool country air Amy picks up the bags and manages to make it back into the bedroom without waking anyone in the house.   
"Yay, clothes!" Emily giggles softly. "I love my clothes."  
"What do you want to wear today?" Amy asks.  
"I dunno." Emily shrugs.  
Amy nods, "okay, I'll change first while you decide."  
Amy quickly selects a green flora skirt and green tank, she'd learned long ago to cover the bruises and as Emily continues to decide on her outfit for the day Amy set to covering the many bruises on her body. By the time she has completed this daily ritual she turns to face her daughter, "so have you decided yet?"  
"Yup," Emily nods pointing out the outfit she had lain out for herself.  
"Very cute," Amy comments on Emily's white lace-up capri pants and white tank top with light blue stripes that crisscross in the back.  
"And my blue fwower sandals and my sunglasses." Emily adds.  
Amy nods, "sounds good to me."  
"Pwease help me with shirt?" Emily asks, within seconds she has herself tangled in the crisscrossing sleeves.  
"Of course," Amy suppresses a small smile at her daughter, but she stops short when she sees the bruise between Emily's shoulder blades. Quickly turning her daughter to face her Amy asks, "where did you get this bruises?"  
"What bruise?" Emily asks her brow furrowing in thought.  
"The one on your back," Amy's heart is pounding in her chest.  
Emily shrugs, "I dunno."  
Taking a deep breath Amy gently touches her daughter's cheek, "sweetie, you have to tell me the truth, did Daddy do that to you?" Marcus had never lain a hand on Emily before and if he had she didn't know what she would do.  
"Uh-huh." Emily shakes her head, "I prahmise."  
Amy searches her daughter's innocent face, "promise promise?"  
Emily would never double promise if she didn't mean it, "prahmise prahmise."  
Taking another deep breath Amy asks, "why don't we wear another shirt until your bruise heals."  
"How come?" Emily asks.  
Very rarely did Amy lie to her daughter and she wasn't about to now, "because I don't want Grandma and Grandpa to think that Daddy hit you too."  
"But he didn't." Emily's four-year-old logic doesn't grasp the fact that her mommy's parents wouldn't believe anything her precious mother would say.  
"I know sweetie, but can we just do what I say?" Amy asks.  
Emily nods, "that shirt den."  
Amy nods, "I like this one too." She pulls the white shirt over Emily's head and replaces it with the scrunchie red floral one.   
By the time Amy and Emily are finished getting ready they hear movement in the hallway and Harold's voice through the door, "Amy we are leaving for breakfast in half an hour if you guys are coming you may want to get up."  
Amy pulls the door open, "we're ready whenever you are."  
"You are both up already?" Harold asks clearly surprised.  
Amy nods, "we are early risers, we'll probably just watch some cartoons before you guys are ready to leave."  
Harold nods, "okay."  
  
"M.J's hasn't changed at all in all the time that I've been gone." Amy muses as they approach the diner.  
No," Rose smiles, "I suppose it hasn't."  
"Do they have hot chocolate?" Emily asks  
"Better than anything you've ever had Ema-lou." Amy responds.  
"Really? With marshmallows?" Emily asks.  
"As many as you want." Amy states.  
"Yummy! I love marshmallows." Emily informs her grandparents.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
"Lyssie no." 4-year-old Antonia Brown removes the salt shaker from her younger sister's sticky grasp. "See Daddy I helped."  
  
"I see that," Ephram responds a little off-handedly turning his attention back to his father and step-mother.  
  
"You guys can stay for as long as you need too," Nina is assuring him.  
  
Ephram nods, "thanks, I just knew that if I stayed any longer I may have done something I regretted."  
  
"Of course," Andy nods, "of course. What about work?"  
  
"I quit the symphony," Ephram sighs, "it kept me away from home to much. I was thinking I could maybe get a part time job here, teaching piano or something...I don't really know, all I know is I needed to get out of New York."  
  
"Actually," Nina states, "I think there was a spot..." The entire family falls silent when the door jingles open and the Abbot family is present, with Amy and daughter in tow.  
  
"Amy..." Ephram breaks the silence but the words are more for his own benefit than anyone elses.  
  
Nina and Andy exchange glances and Andy stands up, "Amy," he forces a smile, "I had no idea you were in town."  
  
"I had no idea Ephram was in town either," Harold comments.  
  
"Yeah," Andy responds. "He just flew in last night, a surprise visit."  
  
"Amy too," Harold responds and both father's feel bad for the uncomfortable silence between their families.  
  
"Maybe we could try this breakfast some other time," Andy suggests. "When there aren't so many surprises."  
  
"No," Ephram shakes his head, "I think we can all sit down and have some breakfast."  
  
Amy is a little less sure of this than Ephram but Emily tugs on her shirt, "Mom, can I have my hot chocolate now?"  
  
Amy looks down at her daughter, "of course Em, we were just sitting down, but I think we are going to need a bigger table." With Amy's words the group moves to another table Ephram's daughters staring at Emily before Antonia walks over.  
  
"Hi!" Antonia greets cheerfully. "I'm Antonia Brown, who are you?"  
  
"I'm Emily Rose Gibbs." Emily announces cheerfully, she had a love for her middle name and used it as often as possible. "I'm four, how old are you?"  
  
Antonia smiles, "me too!" Then she points at her sister, "that my sissy Alyssa but she's only one!"  
  
"I don't have a sister." Emily states semi-sadly.  
  
Antonia thinks for a second, "we can share mine."  
  
"Really?" Emily asks. "Mommy did you heard that? 'Tonia said I could share her sister."  
  
"I heard sweetie," Amy responds, "why don't you sit down so we can order?"  
  
"We're gonna be living here a little while," Antonia tells Emily as the adults make an attempt at a quasi-uncomfortable conversation. "Are you living here?"  
  
Emily shrugs, "I dunno," and then turning to her mother she asks, "Mommy are we living here now?"  
  
Everyone's attention immediately focuses on Amy because her daughter had just voiced the question that everyone at the table had been wondering. Amy takes a deep breath responding, slightly embarrassed, "we will probably be staying her for awhile."  
  
"Yay!" Both girls who seem to have made quick friends cheer.  
  
"Well," Nina states as the two girls begin to chatter, "I was just about to tell Ephram that the dance studio that opened up a couple years ago just lost one of their dance teachers and one of their piano players."  
  
Rose laughs lightly, "yes, I forgot about that. They got married and moved to Vegas."  
  
Nina nods, "that's right. So I'm sure they would be very willing to give both of you the jobs. After the town talent show your senior years you've left a mark on this town, I'm sure they'd love to have you."  
  
Amy and Ephram's eyes lock across the table and both know that the other is thinking about the talent show that Nina had been talking about. The talent show where Ephram had played the piece he'd written for Amy and she had danced to it, the beauty of it had brought most of the town's residents to tears and they had easily taken first place.  
  
"That's an option I suppose." Ephram states.  
  
Amy nods, "yes, I'll look into it."  
  
"Well it doesn't look like you are going to have to look very far." Nina states waving at a woman walking into the diner, "Laura."  
  
"Nina," the woman smiles warmly at Nina, "looks like you have the whole family and more for breakfast. Hello everyone."  
  
"Laura, are you still looking for positions at the dance studio?" Nina asks.  
  
"Of course we are, I have everyone working overtime trying to fill in for Paul and Jamie, there's not exactly a lot of people qualified to fill the positions."  
  
"Well," Nina begins, "Ephram and Amy are in town for awhile, and looking for jobs actually."  
  
Laura's gaze focuses on the younger adults present, "are you really? I would love for you to come work for me, if you two are interested then you have the jobs."  
  
"Don't you want us to interview or something?" Ephram asks.  
  
Laura shakes her head, "not necessary. We show the kids your dance from the talent show , you are both some of those little kids heros. Why don't you think it over and get back to me?"  
  
Ephram doesn't need to think it over, he needs a job that will keep in grounded in Everwood, "I'd appreciate the job."  
  
"Then you've got it. What about you Amy?"  
  
Amy nods slowly, "I guess I could try it out for awhile." 


	5. Chapter Four

* * *

Chapter Four  
  
"Daddy?" Antonia asks as she finishes up her waffles.  
  
"Yes, sweetie?" Ephram turns his attention from his conversation with the adults concerning how well the town is doing.  
  
"Can Emily come and play?" Antonia asks pouting at her father.  
  
"Can I go over and play with Antonia?"   
  
"I don't know Em..." Amy states unsure.  
  
"Please?" Both girls turn to the parent that doesn't belong to them, lower lips stuck out.  
  
Amy and Ephram both cave, "alright," Amy responds. "If it's alright with Ephram."  
  
"It's fine with me." Ephram nods.  
  
"You should take the girls to the new park, neither one of you have seen it. They've put a lot of money into making it really nice," Nina states. "The girls would have fun."  
  
"Yeah, can we go to the park?" Antonia asks.  
  
"Park, park, park, park..." Emily begins chanting and Antonia takes it up as well.  
  
Amy smiles, glad to see her daughter so comfortable, "okay we can go to the park."  
  
"Can we go now?" Antonia asks.  
  
Amy glances at her plate, surprisingly she had eaten most of the food, "I can take them over now Ephram, if you want to stay and talk."  
  
Ephram shakes his head, "I'm ready to go to, as soon as we get the bill."  
  
Andy waves them off, "don't worry about it, breakfast is out treat this morning."  
  
"I can't let you..." Ephram and Amy begin synonymously.  
  
"Just go, have fun, I'm glad to have you both back and visiting."

* * *

"When did you get in?" Amy asks Ephram as he pushes Alyssa in the baby swing.  
  
"Yesterday afternoon, you?"  
  
"Last night, I surprised my parents." Amy responds. "I met Bright's wife."  
  
"Bright's actually married?" Ephram laughs lightly. "Let me guess some bimbo and the marriage'll only last a couple months."  
  
Amy smiles but shakes her head, "no, she's really nice. She's a teacher, Emily got along with her really well from the start." The two fall silent then, unable to make small talk that didn't pry into the other's personal lives.

* * *

"Amy we need to talk," Rose and Harold stop Amy when she comes downstairs after putting Emily down for her nap.  
  
Amy takes a deep breath and then sits at the kitchen table with her parents, "okay."  
  
"Did Marcus do this to you?" Harold asks gesturing at Amy's well-covered cheek.  
  
"Dad..." Amy doesn't know how to respond, she doesn't, by any means, want to protect Marcus but she doesn't want to make a big deal about the issue either.  
  
"Amy, you can talk to us," Rose urges. "Tell us what happened."  
  
"I don't..."  
  
"He's done it more than once, hasn't he?" Harold questions.  
  
Amy buries her face in her hand, "I can't talk about this."  
  
"Did he hit Emily too?" Harold demands, "he beats you and your child...how long have you been putting up with this. Letting Marcus hurt you and your daughter."  
  
"He never hit Emily!" Amy exclaims, "I wouldn't ever let him hurt her."  
  
"Of course you wouldn't," Rose soothes, shooting daggers at Harold. "Amy you have to do something about this."  
  
Amy shakes her head, "I'm not pressing charges if that's what you're asking."  
  
"You can't just let this go Amy, good God, he's got you so scared to do anything..." Harold begins a tirade.  
  
"Harold, please, calm down." Rose requests, "the baby is sleeping."  
  
"I'm sorry," Harold apologizes lowering his voice, "it's just, Amy, I don't want you to be the victim. I'm a doctor, I've seen it before, the woman, each of them with their own reasons, refuses to press charges and then in a month when the bruises have gone away they are back with their husbands, like nothing happened."  
  
"I'm not going back to him and I'm not pressing charges." Amy stands up then, "I'm going for a walk, will you listen for Emily for me?"  
  
"Sure Amy," Rose promises before Amy exits the kitchen, refusing to let her parents see her tears.

* * *

Amy hadn't intended on going hiking, the mountain just seemed like a good place to get away from everything and to clear her head. The thought that this was where she had first met Ephram or where he had proposed years later must have been somewhere in the back of her mind but it certainly wasn't foremost. Her thoughts were centered around Marcus, she knew that her dad was right that by not pressing charges she was letting Marcus win but she didn't care about that. In Everwood everything, the life she had before, seemed so far away like it couldn't reach into this little community and Marcus couldn't hurt her anymore.  
  
Running a hand through her hair Amy settles her elbows on her knees and her chin in hands staring out over Everwood, in all the time she had been gone Amy had never realized just how much she had missed the town she had grown up in. How easily she fit back into this world and how easily everyone in it made her forget about what had made her come back in the first place. When the hand came down to settle on Amy she didn't have the experience not to know that it wasn't a hand meant in anger and she immediately jumps to her feet, off of the log.   
  
"Amy, I didn't mean to scare you." Ephram's face is apologetic.  
  
Amy shrugs, "don't worry about it. What are you doing up here anyway?"  
  
"Just went for a walk, I guess it's a long hike especially for those of us who live in the city."  
  
Amy nods, "yeah. It's nice to be out of the city."  
  
"How long are you going to be here?" Ephram asks.  
  
Amy shrugs, "I was just going to stay the night...with this job who knows. Until I get back on my feet."  
  
Ephram nods, "I get that completely." 


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

I know, I know my updating skill suck...but I was sooo stuck, I had like a page of this written for a month and I just couldn't go any further so I went back and rewrote the whole flashback scene (in italics) and suddenly it was all better! So enjoy!!

* * *

"Ephram..." The silence that has wrapped around both Amy and Ephram like an old familiar blanket dissipates when Amy opens her mouth. Deep down both wanted to explain to the other why they were back in Everwood but neither wanted to be the first to start and on the surface neither of them actually wanted to talk about it. Amy sighs inwardly, "I think I should get back...Emily's asleep and she'll probably freak if I'm not there and she wakes up."

"Amy..." Ephram stops Amy in her tracks.

"Yeah Ephram?" Amy turns wearily.

"I wanted to call but..." Ephram attempts to find reasoning.

Amy nods, "I know Ephram..." She shakes her head, "I'll see you later. At work, or something..."

"Yeah," Ephram nods sadly.

"Ephram?" Amy turns around to face Ephram this time.

"Yeah Amy?"

"The things I said that night," Amy sighs, "I didn't really mean them, I was scared, I didn't know what to think or do or say."

Ephram nods, "I know. I'll see you later Amy." Once the crunching noises of Amy hiking back down the mountain get farther away Ephram takes the spot that Amy had just vacated.

* * *

"Ephram," Amy's voice startles Ephram out of the silence that envelopes him as he packs all the things that would be going with him to New York in a week.

"Amy," Ephram jumps to his feet and grins, they'd been engaged for two days and they had decided that they would tell their families tonight. "I was just about to call you, we're having dinner without parents at the Italian restaurant you like in town."

"Ephram," it's not until she says his name for a second time that Ephram realizes she's upset. "We...I..."

"What's wrong? " Ephram asks quickly.

"I-I-" Amy fumbles over her words and the words that come out of Amy's mouth are the last words in the world Ephram would have expected. "I can't marry you."

"What, did you tell your dad early and he freaked out?" Ephram asks quickly.

"N-no," Amy shakes her head.

"Are you afraid to tell your dad? Because I know he's not going to take it about as well as my fahter, and let's face it that won't be well. But our parents have always known that we wanted to get married, it shouldn't surprise our fathers too much and I think Nina and your mom already know. Nina keeps giving me these knowing looks," Ephram laughs uneasily, "and you know...it's that mother's intuition thing..."

"It's not because of them," Amy responds with a sad shake of her head. "It's because of me...or us..."

"What?" Ephram questions, this was the last thing he had been expecting.

"We're going to do different schools next year," Amy bites her lower lip.

"We both knew it would be a long engagement when I asked you and you said yes. We've talked about this we both decided that our relationship could stand the distance."

"I know...but...I can't marry you..."

"Why?" Ephram can't hide the pain in his voice.

"I don't love you," Amy looks away as she says the words. "And I only said yes because..." Amy falters she can't find an excuse as to why she told had told Ephram she would marry him in the first place.

"That's not true..." Ephram's stare is fiercely intent, "I know you, and I know that's not true. What the hell is going on Amy?"

"I don't love you," Amy yells. "And I hate you for putting me in this position and I hate you for..."

"For what?" Ephram questions his voice low and cold.

"For everything," those words are the last Amy would say to Ephram before she flees his room, leaving Ephram shocked and hurt.

* * *

Ephram hadn't understood it then, and he didn't understand it anymore ten years later. They'd been happy. Most of their relationship had been happy. Not always perfect but they'd been together and able to overcome all the obstacles that had been thrown at them. They'd both talked about it, when Ephram got his acceptance to Julliard and Amy's to Stanford, and both had decided that they were close enough for their relationship to survive a continent.

There was no denying that Ephram had been heart broken when he left for New York and when he met Sophie she had been so radically different from Amy that he'd thrown himself into a relationship with her. She was four years older and going into her first year of law school at NYU and she was fun loving and flirty and they'd gotten married a year into their relationship.

Everyone had thought they were crazy and looking back now maybe they'd been right, it had been a rocky couple of years with both of them in school. But they had stuck it out and both had gotten jobs, Sophie in a highly powerful law firm and Ephram with the symphony he had just quit and not long afterwards Sophie had found out she was pregnant with Antonia. It had all been perfect.

No, it had all seemed perfect. But now in the clear air of Everwood Ephra's head was cleare for the first time in a long time and he was able to get honest perspective on what his life had really become. Antonia and Alyssa were being raised almost round the clock by a nanny. Sophie and Ephram rarely saw each other partly because Ephram traveled and partly because Sophie was taking on caseload after caseload. Ephram hadn't been able to see how imperfect things until he had walked in on Sophie and a colleague in bed together, after having quit the symphony so that he could be home with his family.

48 hours he'd shown up in Everwood and the part that scared Ephram? He wasn't as heartbroken as he'd been after losing Amy a decade before and that scared the hell out of him. She was his first love, he wouldn't deny that to anyone but you were supposed to get over those. He kept telling himself that he should be obsessing about why his wife had been with another man and yet he couldn't but mind kept going back to obsessing about why Amy was back in Everwood after being away for just as long as he had.

But he had daughters to think about now, and the drama with Amy just wasn't something he could think about. He had to try and figure out how to tell them that he and their mommy we're getting a divorce and how they may never go back to New York City again.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

It's short I know, but at least it's an update, right?

* * *

"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please?" Antonia had her hands clasped together and her lower lip stuck out.

"I don't think so Antonia, you can't just spring plans like this on people, you have to give advanced warning."

"I just want her to come watch a movie with us," Antonia pouts. "Call her mom and ask."

"Antonia..."

"Daddy please, she's my friend?" Antonia pouts one last time, knowing that she'd talked her father into inviting Emily and her mother to watch Monsters Inc.

* * *

"They're out," Ephram comments as the credits begin to roll for the movie Antonia and Emily had insisted they could stay awake for.

Amy nods, "I figured they would be."

"You want something to drink before you take off?" Ephram asks. "I thought maybe we could talk about this whole dance studio thing."

Amy nods, "sure, tha'd be great."

"Tea?" Ephram asks once they've moved into the kitchen.

Amy nods, "sure."

"Listen Amy," Ephram talks while he works. "If you're going to be uncomfortable working together I could do something else, tutor kids here at the house."

Amy sighs softly, "I want us to be friends Ephram."

Ephram's eyes connect with Amy's and both stand unmoving for several seconds, before Ephram asks, "can we do that? I mean we don't exactly have the best track record with our friendship ."

"I know," Amy nods, "thinks always seemed to get complicated. But we can be friends, and I think right now we both need some friends. And what better ones than someone who knows exactly who are you."

Ephram shakes his head slowly, "not exactly. We've both changed Amy and we both have secrets. I see it when I look at you."

Amy bites her lip to attempt to force away tears, "I want to tell you Ephram, I do, really...it's just I can't right now. I just, I dunno...whenever things got back when I was a teenager you were there to help me pick up the pieces. I dunno, maybe deep down that's how I ended up in Everwood, even if I had no idea you would be here."

Ephram nods, "maybe I could use a friend. But you have to promise not to fall in love with me this time."

Amy sighs, "that definitely won't be a problem., I am so not looking for love ever, ever again."

"Amen to that,"with his words Ephram hands Amy her glass of tea.

"So then we're going to do this thing at the studio?" Amy questions.

Ephram shrugs, "it sounds like it could be cool. Completely different crowd from the symphony but I know the girls would love to take dance, and that's what it's all about, right?"

Amy smiles and nods slightly, "Emily's my entire world now, that's definitely what it's all about. So you said the symphony, is that what you've been doing?"

Ephram nods, "yeah, for about five years now."

"Did you like it?"

Ephram nods, "yeah I loved it."

"Was it everything you thought it would be?"

Ephram nods, "for awhile. And then suddenly I felt like how my dad must have felt when he realized that he really was never around when we grew up. I had to quit, Antonia and Alyssa are still young enough to be relatively unscarred by my not being around...now we just have to get over the hurdle of them adjusting to living without their mother."

"You guys..." Amy trails off, not wanting to push Ephram into talking about anything he would prefer not to.

"We're separated, permanently."

* * *

When Amy get's home Emily is still completely passed out in her arms, "here, I'll take her." Harold offers when Amy walks in the door with her.

Amy shakes her head, "I've got her, but if you could get my bedroom door that would be great."

Once Harold has pushed the bedroom door open he offers, "your mom and I were going to have same cake, would you like some?"

Amy nods, "sure, when I get her down, I come."

With one hand Amy shoves her purse off of the bed, making a louder thump than she would have cared, but Emily was out for the count and the noise doesn't bother her in the slightest. Once she is settled in bed Amy crouches down to pick up the contents of her dumped purse, her hand settling on the sleek silver cell phone that had tumbled out from the bottom. She'd completely forgotten about it, it had died the night she had gotten here and she hadn't given it another though, the only person who would ever call her on it would be Marcus.

Amy let's out a long slow sigh, Marcus. For the first time since she'd arrived in Everwood almost a week ago she thought about Marcus. Her immediate thought was what he had to have thought when he came home from work to find his wife and daughter gone, as well as most of their things. Then her mind plays the sequence of events that must have occurred after that, he would have called his parents to see if they were staying over there for the night. And then he would be at a loss because Amy had no other friends she would go to. He was probably panicked and Amy couldn't help but feel guilty, because when it came down to it Marcus did honestly love her and Emily, they were his world and Amy had left with a short note that said she was leaving him.

With a shaky breath and hand Amy picks up the phone and grabs the charger and heads to the bathroom, she had to call him and tell him that they were okay. After plugging it in Amy stares in the mirror, giving the phone time to charge, as a internal battle immediately begins. Part of her, the self-preservationist, told her not to pick up that phone and call, it told her to smash it to pieces on the tile floor. The other part told her that she had to at least call and tell him that she was okay, she had just walked away with his daughter, and in the end that's the part that won out.

Turning on the phone Amy stares as her phone flashes at her that she had missed 25 calls and had 10 voice mails. Taking a deep breath Amy hits the speed dial and holds the phone up to her ear.

The phone rings exactly one time before it's answered by Marcus, "Amy, thank God." Suddenly Amy is unable to speak and Marcus urges in a gently voice, "Amy, baby, talk to me." Another pause and Marcus asks, "Amy are you there?"

Taking a deep breath Amy responds, "yeah, I'm here."


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

* * *

"Amy, baby, where are you?" Marcus' voice is verging on panic.

Amy is immediately panicked, she hadn't actually thought far enough ahead as to what she was going to say when she got on the phone with Marcus. "We're fine, me and Emily."

"Good, where are you?" Marcus asks again.

"We're...we're fine, I just wanted to call and tell you that we're okay, I can't tell you where I am..."

"Dammit Amy, where the hell are you?" As Marcus' anger blazes Amy can't help but jump a little.

"I...I...I...I..." Amy stutters, suddenly realizes that she had made a mistake in calling Marcus in the first place, at least until she saw a lawyer.

"Amy baby," Marcus' voice goes back to the soothing tone that Amy had fallen in love with in the first place. "Please, I'm just worried about you, let me come and get you and we'll work this out. Maybe see a marriage councilor, work things out, I just need you and Emily with me."

"Marcus, really?" Amy asks.

"Of course..." Amy can't hear the rest of Marcus' words because Harold barges into the bathroom causes Amy to screech as her father pulls the phone out of her hands.

"You stay the hell away from Amy," Harold barks into the phone before slamming it shut.

Rose is drawn upstairs by the sound and walks into the bathroom to see Harold staring at Amy and Amy pale faced and looking like she is going to cry. "What's going on in here?" Rose asks, "Harold? Amy?"

"That ass of a husband of hers had the nerve to call her," Harold states.

"Oh Amy, dear, are you alright?" Rose questions.

"He didn't call me," Amy confesses, "I call him."

"You did what?" Harold stares stunned at his daughter.

"Oh Amy," Rose sighs.

"I just," Amy takes a slowly breath in and lets it out slowly, hoping to stop her shaking. "I just thought it wasn't right for him to not know where I am, where Emily is, I was just calling to tell him that we were okay. But then he started saying things he wants me back and he's willing to get some help..."

"Of course that's what he said, that's the way these cretins work. I thought we'd decided that you wouldn't contact him, once we found a divorce lawyer we would let him to the talking."

"No Dad," Amy exclaims, "that's what you decided about my life. It's my life, and he's my husband..."

"Who beats you!" Harold interrupts, "I'm sorry if I was trying to protect my daughter from her abusive husband when she can't think straight."

"It's not your job to protect me!"

"Well if you're just going to go back to him despite the fact that you realize him hitting you is wrong who's to say you can stop it when he decides to start hitting Emily."

"I would never let him hurt her."

"That's what you say now, but two nights ago you also said that you'd never go back to him and a short phone call and you've changed your mind. He says all the right things and you're willing to just take him back like the bruises that you hide everyday mean nothing, like he can just stop doing it. Like this time is different from all of the other times, like you've scared him straight. Well that's exactly what he wants you to think, and he'll go into those counseling sessions and get some help but that's not going to change him."

"Mommy?" Emily appears behind Rose looking terrified.

"Come on Emy-Lou," Amy takes her daughter into her arms and pulls her tightly to her, "we're leaving."

"Amy please," Rose begs. "Don't leave now, get some sleep. You and your father need to just calm down."

"No," Amy shakes her head, grabbing her keys from the bedside table, "I can't stay here tonight."

* * *

Once Amy has gotten Emily bucked into her car seat and she is behind the wheel Amy breaks into silent sobs, she had no where to go, she'd left her purse and wallet in the house. But she couldn't go back in there, "Mommy?" Emily asks softly unaware that her mother is crying.

"Yeah baby?" Amy asks forcing her voice to remain normal.

"Are we leaving Everwood?" Emily asks.

"Not tonight," Amy responds.

"Where are we going to sleep?" Emily asks.

"I'm not sure yet sweetie, but I'll figure it out." The idea of staying with Bright crossed Amy's mind but she knew her brother well enough to know that he would ask questions, demand answers and then when she told him he would take her father's side and just get another lecture from him. She had no contact with anyone in town except Ephram, but even then Amy didn't want to go there. Flashback to high school anyone? Ephram was going through his own thing she couldn't just show up at his house asking him to help her pick up the pieces of her once again screwed up life.

"We're staying with Antonia?" Emily's voice brings Amy out of her thoughts and Amy's heart begins to pound, she hadn't even realize she was driving let alone had a direction in mind.

She didn't want to burden Ephram but she also couldn't put Emily through the experience of sleeping in the car, "yeah, I guess so." Amy unbuckles Emily and lifts her onto her hip, Emily was obviously exhausted and even the thought of seeing her friend didn't wake her up.

Amy shifts uncomfortably after knocking on the door and Nina's the one who pulls the door open for them, "Amy, come in."

"I'm sorry to just show up like this, but could we stay here tonight? Anywhere is fine, I just..."

"You don't have to explain Amy," Nina shakes her head. "Of course you can stay here, if you want I can take Emily up to the room Antonia and Alyssa are sharing."

Amy looks at her daughter, "does that sound good?" Emily nods and allows Nina to take her, "thank you so much Nina."

Nina nods, "Ephram's in the music room."

Amy bites her lip, "thanks, really Nina, thank you."

Amy slips into Ephram studio quietly not wanting to alert him to her presence, completely content to listen to Ephram play and try to clear her thoughts. But Ephram doesn't give her anytime alone because the music suddenly ends and he states, "go to bed, it's past your bedtime."

"But Daddy, five more minutes," Amy can't resist and her words make Ephram jump up quickly, knocking his bench backwards.

"Amy?"

"Hey," Amy offers a half smile.

"What's going on?" Ephram questions.

"We're crashing here for the night," Amy states, "I had a fight with my dad and couldn't stand to be there."

"That's it," Ephram rights his bench and then moves toward the couch. "We're having a long talk."

"Ephram..."

"No," Ephram shakes his head, "once upon a time I used to know everything about you. And right now I know exactly what you're doing, you're about to meltdown and you won't talk to me cause you're afraid you'll burden me."

"Ephram..."

"The thing is, I would give anything to get my mind off my own damn problems. So talk to me Amy, please."


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

* * *

After taking a painstakingly long time to adjust herself next to Ephram, Amy finally begins the painful story, most of which she had never told to anyone before. "I met Marcus almost seven years ago. He was amazing. Smart. Well balanced. He made me feel grounded and normal. Something I had been looking for since I left Everwood. So when he asked me to marry him I said yes, even though my parents didn't like or trust him. We were only married three months when he hit me the first time. He apologized and I brushed it off, he'd told me he was having a bad day at work and I was pushing him about something stupid. 

"But it just kept happening, past the point of being able to explain it away, it was always something I did wrong you? And it kept happening, until I found out I was pregnant with Emily, before I even told him about her I told him that I was leaving him. That I wanted a divorce and a restraining order if it was necessary. But he begged me to come back. Promised me that he would changed, that he would get help." Amy shivers realizing that he's said exactly the same thing less than an hour ago, "the thing is though, he did. For like a year he saw an councilor who specialized in anger management. And we were happy, for like the first time in our marriage.

"But then, when Emily was almost four-months-old he started again. We'd been at a company party and he accused me of throwing myself at one of his partners." Amy is amazed at the feeling that washes over her, almost a sense of peace as she continues to talk. "I was hurt so badly I probably should have been in the hospital, but I didn't want to ruin the happiness that had settled around the house. But it didn't matter it was all broken. And I've spent the last four years just trying to make things perfect around the house so he would have nothing to be angry about, but it didn't matter. Nothing was ever perfect.

"It took me a long time to figure that out. And I'm probably pretty stupid for it taking so long but...I dunno but when he hit me the other day it's like he knocked some sense into me and for the first time in years I saw the situation clearly. So I'm here and I have no idea what my next move is. My dad and I were fighting because I called Marcus tonight, I shouldn't have, I see that now, it's just...He's my husband you know?"

Ephram is motionless next to Amy and tentatively she glances at him, his face is an expression of pure rage but without another word Ephram pulls Amy to him in a tight embrace. The gentle gesture throws off Amy's self-control and she bursts into tears suddenly overwhelmed by all of the emotions she is feeling.

"He won't hurt you again," Ephram swears in a low voice which eventually changes to a soft whisper of, "it's okay," over and over again.

Ephram holds Amy as she cries and he gently rubs her back and Amy is almost transported back to high school at the situation and that thought alone makes Amy pull away quickly. "I-I-I'm sorry, Ephram. I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't seen you in ten years and that doesn't give me the right to dump all my problems on you."

Ephram shakes his head, "you're wrong on so many levels. First of all, I asked you to tell me what was going on with you. Second, we're friends, didn't we decide that just a couple hours ago? Third, Amy you're the best thing that happened to me in Everwood and I've thought about you a million times since I left here. I care about you Amy, and I want to help you in anyway I can."

"I don't have any right to ask for your help."

"You're not asking."

"Ephram..."

"No, okay, hear me out." Ephram interrupts. "We're both embarking on the journey of single parenthood and it's going to be hard for both of us, especially me. The girls have practically been raised by a nanny, I don't know anything about taking care of my kids. Nina has been doing most of the hard stuff."

"You'll get the hang of it," Amy encourages softly.

Ephram nods, "I also know that I am not about to be a 28-year-old living with his father and step-mother. So I talked it over with Antonia tonight, and we're going to buy a house here, and we were going to ask you and Emily to move in with us."

"Ephram, I can't, I don't have the money to leave my parents house right now."

"Amy, I'm in the exact same position my dad was in when we first moved here. I have more than enough money, but no ability to take care of a house and I don't want to hire anyone ever again to help me raise my girls. I really need your help, Amy, and you can worry about rent or whatever once you can. "

"A house?" Amy echoes, as if hearing it for the first time.

"Yes," Ephram nods, "a house."

"You really want me to move in with you guys?" Amy asks.

Ephram nods, "very much. Even to the point where I can forgive your love of sappy WB dramas."

"I haven't seen a WB drama in years."

"Well, then, I guess it's time for you to catch up."

"So, what kind of a house," Amy asks changing the topic back to that of the house.

"The way I figure it, we need at least a four bedroom. Antonia and Emily probably wouldn't mind having to share a room and..."

* * *

"Daddy!" 

"Mommy!"

"Daddy!"

"Mommy!"

Ephram and Amy are both woken from their uncomfortable half-sitting sleeping positions in the studio, "what's the matter?" Amy asks quickly.

"I told Emily that we were going to buy a house and live in it together," Antonia states. "And we want to go buy our house now. Right Emi?"

Emily nods shyly, "uh-huh."

Ephram and Amy both laugh at their daughters and Ephram asks, "Where do you think we buy a house?"

Antonia shrugs and Emily suggests, "a house store?"

Ephram laughs loudy at this and the noise makes Emily jump, but once she realizes that Ephram is amused, not angry, she giggles along with Amy and Antonia. Ephram scoops Emily up and spins her around, "Daddy me! Daddy me!" Antonia holds her hands out to her father to be twirled too.

Once Ephram sets both of them back on the floor, all three of them slightly dizzy, he states, "after breakfast we'll go see a realtor and find out what's on the market."

"Yay!" Both girls cheer.

"And Grandpa Andy has already started pancakes for breakfast!" Antonia adds and both girls cheer again.

"He is doing what?" Ephram asks quickly before dashing out of the room.

Amy laughs, a comforting air of familiarity wrapping around her, taking both girls' hands Amy suggest, "let's go see what's going on in the kitchen."

"Dad, no," Ephram's voice is slightly raised in pleading amusement. "I will not let you poison my family, I like them, I don't want them to die from your food poisoning."

"Trust me, Ephram, I can make pancakes without killing anyone. Just sit back and relax, maybe get Alyssa up and watch some cartoons with the girls."

"Dad..."

"I'm serious Ephram, I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

"Dad..."

"Ephram, go, I hear Alyssa crying in her room."

With a sigh Ephram leaves the kitchen and eventually Amy, with a laugh, leads the girls into the living room to watch morning cartoons.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

AN recently I was on a long car ride and decided to map out like forever in advance for this story...I am surprised where it has taken me so far and I hope you all like it! And I am sooo sorry about how long its taken to get this out...but like I said it's all mapped out so I just need to not be lazy and write it!

* * *

"Daddy, I'm tired," Antonia whines, they'd been house hunting for nearly three hours and Alyssa had fallen asleep almost the instant they had gotten in t he car from leaving the last house, and both Emily and Antonia where ready for naps. 

"I know sweetie," Ephram responds. "But our realtor says that she has just one more house she wants to show us right now. Then we'll be done. Okay?"

"It'll be worth it," the realtor says from the passengers seat of Andy's mini van that they had borrowed. "The people who built this house are amazing. He's a contractor and she's an interior decorator. They build a house, decorate it beautifully and then sell it without making much of a profit off of it, they do it just for the fun of it."

"So what makes you think this house is so perfect?" Amy asks, in a tone not meant to offend.

"Well I think the best part of the house, for your situation at least, is that there are two amazing master bedrooms."

"That's perfect," Ephram states pulling into the driveway the realtor had directed him to and as they come around the driveway they are faced with a huge house.

"It's huge." Amy gasps.

"It's like a castle!" Antonia exclaims.

"It has five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, a den, a fully finished basement, vaulted ceilings, an acre of fence in property..." The woman stops, "why don't I just show it to you?"

"It's perfect," Ephram declares once they've seen the entire house.

"Ephram it's huge, even for all of us." Amy whispers.

"Amy I've spent the last ten years living in an apartment in New York City, I need some room. Besides it's my house remember? If I want a big house..."

Amy shrugs and smiles slightly, "it's your house."

Ephram turns his attention back to the realtor, "how soon can you draw up the papers?"

The realtor grins, "I can drop them by your house sometime this evening?"

Ephram grins, "tha'd be great. Thanks."

"Mom?" Emily asks.

"Yeah Em?"

"'Tonia and I still want to share a room, even though we don't have to." Emily states as Antonia nods along.

Amy smiles at Ephram over their daughters' heads, "I think that can be arranged."

"Yay!" Both girls cheer, their lack of naps forgotten.

"How about we go out for a celebratory dinner at Mama Joys?" Ephram suggests.

* * *

The group is still chattering about the new house when they are settled around a table at Mama Joy's. And it's not until after they've placed their ordered with one of the waitress' that the topic switches to Amy. "Amy?" Antonia asks, glancing up from the paper mat she is coloring on. 

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Are you going to be our new mommy now?" Antonia's question is innocent enough but Ephram and Amy both take in quick breaths, neither had really been expecting a question along those lines but at the same moment they realize they should have been expecting the question as well.

"Sweetie," Ephram begins but stops, unsure of how to explain the situation to his daughter.

"Antonia," Amy speaks up for Ephram, "I'll never be able to take your mommy's place. And I don't want to. Your dad and I aren't getting married, we aren't dating, and we aren't sharing a bedroom. We're just friends who are trying to help each other out."

"Why?" Antonia asks and Emily is staring intently at her mother as well.

Ephram fields this question, "because being a parent is hard work and it's hard to do it all by yourself. So instead of all of us living in different houses, we decided to live in the same house and help each other out."

"So Amy isn't going to be out new mommy?" Antonia's lip quivers.

Amy lifts Antonia into her lap, "I'm not going to be your new mommy, you already have a mommy. But I can be kind of like a mommy, you can still come to me about the same things you'd go to your mommy about. And I think I'm pretty good at fixing things like scrapped knees and making ice cream sundaes, just asks Emily."

Everyone's eyes focus on Emily and Ephram can't help but pull her into his lap too, "the same goes for you Squirt, I'm here for you. Just like a daddy would be okay?" He leans in and whispers something in Emily's ear that causes her to fall into giggling fits.

"What was that?" Amy asks, but she can't suppress the smile on her face.

"Ephram said he'd sneak me cookies even if I didn't eat all of my yucky vegetables," Emily giggles again at her words.

"Oh did he?" Amy arches an eyebrow but laughs just the same.

* * *

"Amy, I'm so glad you've come home," Rose gushes when Amy walks into the house later that evening, a tired Emily following close behind. 

Amy turns to her daughter, "sweetie, why don't you head upstairs to get ready for bed? It's late?" Emily nods and hurries up the stairs, and once she's disappeared Amy turns her attention to her parents. "Can we talk?"

"Amy if you're going to yell at us again..." Harold begins.

"No," Amy shakes her head, "nothing like that at all. I want to apologize for the way I acted. It was childish and stupid. I'm ready for all of this to be over. I want to get in touch with a lawyer in the morning and start the divorce process, no more second chances for Mark."

"Oh, Amy," Rose wraps her arms around her daughter tightly.

"Mom, air...issue..." Amy pulls away from the huge and trains her eyes on Harold, "Dad?"

"I'll call Earl Medford in the morning, he'll take care of everything for you."

Amy smiles, "thanks."

"So should I take this as you'll be staying in Everwood for awhile then?" Harold asks and he can't hide the hopeful look in his eyes.

Amy nods, "yeah, for awhile."

Emily is curled on the bed nearly asleep when Amy finally makes her way upstairs. The conversation had turned longer by the discussion of her moving in with Ephram. If that was a wise choice. Was it a romantic thing? But eventually Harold and Rose had told Amy that it was her life and Ephram was a good man no matter what situation they were trying to uphold.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah Emmes?" Amy asks crawling in bed next to her daughter.

"How come I don't have a daddy like Antonia's daddy? Her daddy isn't mean or anything."

Amy wraps her arms around Emily, "Mommy didn't make a wise decision when she got married. But I got one thing out of marrying your daddy, even if he was mean, do you know what it was?"

"No," Emily shakes her head, "what?"

"You," Amy kisses Emily lightly on her head, "and you're more important to me than anything in the world. And we don't have to see your daddy anymore."


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

**A.N**. Okay if this chapter seems to skip a lot (because it does) it's because the first scene was intended to be at the end of the last chapter and I'm just a dolt! Anyway, enjoy! Also thanks so much for the reviews, they mean a ton to me! I have two reviews that I want to respond to: **XjamisonparkerX** I've never had a biggest fan so thanks so much for saying that, it rocks! And then to **tardychick** thank you so much for all of your reviews, I think you've reviewed every chapter of every story I've written, thank so much! Also the stuff in italics I don't own, I borrowed it from various episodes, I had to slip a couple of the things in there to let you know what they're thinking about!

Okay if this chapter seems to skip a lot (because it does) it's because the first scene was intended to be at the end of the last chapter and I'm just a dolt! Anyway, enjoy! Also thanks so much for the reviews, they mean a ton to me! I have two reviews that I want to respond to: I've never had a biggest fan so thanks so much for saying that, it rocks! And then to thank you so much for all of your reviews, I think you've reviewed every chapter of every story I've written, thank so much! Also the stuff in italics I don't own, I borrowed it from various episodes, I had to slip a couple of the things in there to let you know what they're thinking about!

* * *

"So this'll be fun," Amy states as she takes a seat in the passenger seat of Ephram's new car, after having just dropped their kids off with Andy and Nina. "Our first class." 

"Yeah, fun," Ephram responds sarcastically as he starts the car.

"What?" Amy glances over at him.

"What, what?" Ephram asks avoiding her eye contact.

"Oh my God!" Amy laughs, "you're nervous!"

"Nervous why would I be nervous?" Ephram asks.

"I don't know, you tell me," Amy retorts, still laughing.

"I'm not nervous."

"You are too, Ephram that's so cute! You can preform in front of sold out audience, record music for dozens of major motion pictures and compose music for three tv shows but you can't play the piano for a bunch of teenage girls to dance to."

"Do we remember me in high school?" Ephram questions.

Amy is nearly doubles over with laughter by now, "you're nearly thirty years old and you're afraid of some high school students. Classic Ephram, that's just classic."

"It's not like I've changed since high school."

Amy nods, "yes you have. We both have," she falls silent for a couple of minutes before she eases the seriousness that has fallen over the car by asking, "so when Alyssa and Antonia are teenagers will you be scared of them too?"

"Of course," Ephram responds, "a single father with two teenage daughters, sounds like something to be terrified of to me."

"Well, don't worry about it, if they get to be to much I'll step in and run interference," Amy's words hand in the air, they'd been living together for two weeks now and she was officially the first one to insinuate that this might be something other then short term. "What I mean is, I play on staying in Everwood...not that ten years from now we will still be living together."

Ephram nods, "I understand."

"We're here," Amy states as Ephram pulls up in front of the dance studio, "are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be I suppose."

"Just remember," Amy teases, "they can smell fear."

"Ha ha," Ephram rolls his eyes, "let's go."

"So punctual," Laura meets them at the door, "excellent. The girls know they have a new teacher but they don't know who you are so I thought it would be a lovely surprise." Amy and Ephram exchange glances as she continues talking, "you guys are early so none of the girls are here yet, which will give you a chance to set up. So here it is, Ephram there's your piano. I have a class of six-year-old down the hall but if you need anything don't be afraid to ask for help." And with her brief words she's gone.

Ephram sits down at the piano briefly playing the scales as Amy stretches out for several minutes before she wanders over to him. It feels weird to be back in this studio again, I spent so many years of my life completely focused on what happened in this studio."

Ephram is about to respond when several girls start filing into the room, the first girl to enter stops the others with her statement. "I told you that they were back in town and that they'd be teaching the class."

"You're Ephram Brown and Amy Abbot, right?" A second girl asks as the group of four crowd around them.

"Um, yeah," Amy responds, she hadn't expected all of the attention and judging by Ephram's reaction neither had he.

"Oh my god," a girl mutters, "that's so cool. We watch your video every years as inspiration for the talent show."

"Do you think you could do it for us now?" The final girl asks as the other three girls chime their positive words of encouragement.

* * *

"I don't think so," Amy shakes her head at the request of her four favorite students, the same four who had walked into class early on that first day and made the same request to Amy. 

"Amy you've been saying that all semester," Karen states.

"Come on Amy, as a Christmas present?" Cassey pouts.

Amy glances at Ephram, "can you still play it?"

Ephram nods, "of course, can you still dance it?"

Amy nods as well, "of course."

"Yes!" All four girls cheer before settling themselves on a spot of the floor out of the way to watch.

Amy takes her position as Ephram begins playing the song that starts out sad and haunting.

"So this is your boyfriend?"

"Ephram Brown, meet Colin Hart."

"The only miracle in my life right now is the fact that your dad looked at a map, and of all places, he decided to move here."

"It's like when you're nice to me there's nothing I can't do, and when you're mad at me it's all I can think about.

The girls watch breathlessly as the song loses the sad tone and slowly moves toward a cheerful and happy tone, Amy's body moving gracefully with the music.

"You're coming to New York with me?"

"See, I've never been to Times Square and I'm dying to see Avenue Q and you never shut up about how good the pizza is. Plus I'm not good at the whole waiting thing.

"All this time I've been thinking. Thinking about what would happen. How you would feel. How I would feel but I'm not thinking now."

"I know."

"I'm just here with you and I'm not scared."

And as Ephram stops playing and Amy stops moving the girls erupt into cheers and applause, but Amy and Ephram don't notice it. Their eyes are locked on one another lost in a thousand memories of a lifetime ago. They'd both felt it, the love that had been there when the song had been composed and the dance choreographed. And if the girls had known what was going through their minds at this exact moment they wouldn't have interrupted, but how was anyone else to know when they hardly knew what was going on themselves?

"You guys are amazing," Erin leads the girls to the space in-between Amy and Ephram, the other three chattering away as well.

* * *

"Emily Rose Gibbs and Antonia Marina Brown if you don't get your little butts down here for breakfast I'm writing a letter to Santa and telling him not to bring you a single present this Christmas!" Amy yells up the steps the morning of the last day of school before winter break. 

"And I'm taking back all of the Hanukkah presents!" Ephram yells his piece from the kitchen.

Amy leaves her post at the bottom of the stairs when she hears steps approaching them from overhead. It had been two days since she'd danced at the dance studio, neither she nor Ephram had made a comment about the moment after the dance was done. But luckily the three days since had been so chaotic that there had been no room for awkwardness, especially since the day immediately following Amy had been informed that while the divorce was final Mark was petitioning for custody of Emily.

"I have a meeting with my lawyer today after my last class," both Amy and Ephram had started teaching part time at the high school. "Do can you pick up the kids?"

"Not a problem," Ephram responds as he fills three bowls on the table with cereal, "It's fine, Ames. They won't let Mark have custody of Emily, the lawyer told you that's not a chance in hell they will."

"I know," Amy responds, "it's just, that, well what happens if they do?"

"They won't," Ephram assures.

"I never reported him for the abuse, so I can't count on that."

"Amy, stop," Ephram orders gently and lowers his voice as the girls come in, "if that happens then we leave the country."

"Ephram!" Amy exclaims.

"Amy, I'm serious there's no way I'll let that bastard have custody of Emily, and if taking all of us and leaving the country is the only way we can do that then so be it."

"Ephram I..." Amy is cut off by the phone ringing.

Emily jumps to her feet, "I got it. Hello? K, hang on. It's Uncle Bright," she holds out the phone.

"Em, who does he want to talk to?" Amy asks.

Emily just shrugs and sets the phone on the counter and turns to return to her bowl of cereal. Ephram, who is closest to the phone, picks it up, "hey Bright. I dunno about that. No I'm not sure...with every thing that's going on. Fine. Yes. Fine. I'll tell her. Yes. Bye, Bright."

"What was that?" Amy asks.

"Bright, inviting us to their New Years Eve party, he wants me to inform you that "no" is not an acceptable answer."

Amy shrugs, "whatever, I'm sure I can get one of the girls to come sit for us, if not we'll find someone."

"Daddy, the long arm is on the twelve again," Antonia informs.

"Seven already? Shit we're going to be late for school, _again._"

"Um, um, um, um, um!" Emily and Antonia's jaws drop at Ephram's use of a swear word.

Ephram rolls his eyes at the girls antics, "get your coats we're gonna be late for the last day of school."

As the older girls hurry off to get their coats Amy cleans Alyssa up, "how is it we're always running late?"

Ephram shrugs, "guess that's our New Year's resolution."

Amy nods, "so do you want to take Alyssa to your dad and Nina's or the girls to preschool?"

"I'll take Alyssa, the girls are bound to decide they want some intricate braid done to their hair."

"And you're useless in that department," Amy nods. "We're having dinner with my parents tonight so if you wouldn't mind tossing them in the tub when they get home? Because I can't even remember the last time they bathed." At Ephram's nod Amy yells, "girls, now!"

"Okay, Lys is ready to go, so I'm just gonna take her and go. I'll see you at school, lunch?"

Amy shakes her head, "I had a student miss her dance exam yesterday she's making it up at lunch."

* * *

"I think we overdid the presents thing," Amy comments as she and Ephram wrap presents on Christmas Eve. 

"You think?" Ephram asks sarcastically.

"Linda warned me not to," Amy refers to the councilor she'd been seeing for several months now.

"Linda's your financial advisor? Man, that woman does everything," Ephram laughs.

"No," Amy laughs as well, "she said we'd try to compensate for the last year with presents."

"I think that's an accurate evaluation," Ephram nods, "unless of course you're Sophie and then you just don't acknowledge the holiday at all."

"Has Antonia said anything about her not calling or anything?" Amy asks.

No," Ephram shakes his head, "not to me, at least."

Amy sighs and the two fall silent, wrapping the mound of presents most of which were for the three girls sleeping upstairs, but some were for the Abbots and Browns who would be coming over in the morning to join in the Christmas celebration. "You know this time last year I was in LA recording, I didn't even get to spend last Christmas with my girls."

"Ephram you can't keep beating yourself up for stuff that happened last year, this year is different."

"I know, if someone had told me last year that I'd be living here with you I would never have believed it."

Amy nods, "I know." She bites her lip preparing to say something she'd kept to herself for the months since she'd seen Ephram in Mama Joy's the morning after she'd arrived back in Everwood. "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't wish I hadn't been stupid enough to walk away from us."

"Amy..."

"Ephram, I know this confuses this and I wish it was true, God do I wish it had changed being back here and seeing the reality of the situation. But..."

"It hasn't," Ephram finishes for her.

"I'm sorry, Ephram," Amy whispers tears flooding her eyes.

"Amy," Ephram moves across the floor towards her, "since I was fifteen-years-old you're the only girl I've ever really wanted. I lied to myself about Sophie, I didn't want to be in love with you anymore so I convinced myself that I was in love with her and not you." He's right in front of Amy now, one hand gently touching Amy's cheek the other resting on her hip, "it didn't work."

The instant their lips touch a thousand memories wrap around the both of them, as Ephram's hands run through Amy's hair everything seems to fall back into place. And as Amy leans back Ephram's hands slide under her shirt and over her stomach both feel no inclination to stop this from going any further.

"Mommy!" Emily's terrified scream, the product of weekly night terrors, is followed by Antonia's startled cries as well.

Ephram rests his forehead against Amy's as they both let out sighs, their bodies are still yearning for the kisses and touch but a moment later Ephram moves off of Amy and gently pulls her to her feet, "duty calls."

"I'll be back," Amy squeezes Ephram's hand kissing him gently, "give me five minutes to get everyone calmed down."

"Mommy, Mommy," Emily's arms immediately wrap around Amy's neck when she sits on her bed.

"Amy," Antonia cries, Emily's screams usually startled her possibly more then Emily's own nigh terrors.

"Okay, everyone in Emily's bed," Amy keeps her voice calm as Antonia crawls into bed and both girls snuggle into Amy's arms. Ten minutes later Ephram stands in the doorway watching the three sleeping figures on Emily's tiny bed, he smiles gently quietly moving through the room to cover the three with a blanket before taking a seat in the rocking chair between the two beds and it's not long before he's asleep as well.

* * *

**A.N.2** Don't hate me, okay? I know you probably hate me, I drag you through nine chapters of them not being together and then they almost get together and the kids get in-between them...but hopefully an update will be up soon! (Not that I can promise all wrongs will be right in the next chapter) 


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

* * *

"Whoa, back up, you and my sister almost what?" Bright stares at Ephram Christmas morning once the presents have all been unwrapped and everyone had broken off into little groups. The girls are playing by the tree with the truckloads of new toys they got for Christmas, Rose, Nina and Noelle are talking over coffee watching carefully over the kids, Andy and Harold are talking "shop" and Amy has been making herself busy to avoid any possible contact with Ephram. And Bright and Ephram are sitting on the far side of the living room and Ephram has just filled Bright in on the pervious nights happenings.

"Bright, can we try to remember that you're now thirty and a little more mature then you were in high school?" Ephram pleads.

"Fine," Bright nods, "but dude, what the hell? That's a little out of the blue isn't it?"

"I guess," Ephram sighs, "but it didn't then. It felt natural, like the last ten years just hadn't happened."

"Well, are you into her again?" Bright asks simply.

"Again?" Ephram asks, "I don't know that I've ever stopped being "into" her."

"I'm not going to tell you not to go for it, if that's what you're looking for. Dude, at the risk of sounding like a chick, you and Amy are meant for each other. Even marriage, separation and kids later that hasn't changed so you should just suck it up and talk to her about it. What?" Bright asks about the look Ephram is giving him. "All I'm saying is you've got to talk to her. If you give her too much time then she'll reason herself out of anything that's good for her. She'll come up with every reason why she shouldn't be with you. Now get in that kitchen and talk to her.

"When did you get good at giving advice?" Ephram questions.

"Dude, you think I got a girl like Noelle by being an idiot? I've matured. Now get in that kitchen so you can get some."

"Oh, yeah, definitely matured."

"What? I'm still me," Bright defends lightly.

Ephram gets to his feet and makes his way to the kitchen where Amy is doing nothing but sipping her coffee and staring out the window. "Hey," Ephram greets startling he rout of her thoughts.

"Oh, hey," she smiles briefly at him.

"You should see the girls, they're having so much fun with the dolls you picked out for them."

"Yeah, I can heard them from in here," Amy responds setting her mug down on the counter. "Ephram, about last night..."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that too, I don't..."

"Can I go first?" Amy asks, "I'll lose my nerve otherwise."

"Uh, yeah, sure," Ephram nods as a sinking feeling settles in his gut.

"Last night was..." Amy trails. "Everything I said last night was true and I've sat here for most of the morning trying to talk myself out of this..."

"Amy..."

"Let me finish, please, because even if you feel differently about it I have to get it off my chest. I can't talk myself into a good enough reason not to be with you, no matter how hard I try. I tried to tell myself if would be bad for the girls but it would only be bad if we broke up and I don't want to break up." Amy takes a deep breath and waits for Ephram's response, but when she doesn't she demands, "say something!"

"You said everything I was going to," Ephram responds.

Amy grins, "so what does this mean?"

Ephram takes a step closer, "it means we should take things slow. See how the girls feel about it, not rush things."

"I suppose you're right," Amy whispers wrapping her arms around Ephram's neck.

"It's hard to take things slow when you're this close," Ephram responds, their faces only centimeters apart. "Okay that was lame."

Amy nods but doesn't respond as Ephram's lips brush against hers, this kiss is as full of as much passion and yearning as it had been the night before but it's slower and more gentle then it had been before. Amy and Ephram are lost in a world where only they exist completely oblivious to the four-year-olds watching them from the doorway of the kitchen and then scampering off. "Daddy's kissing Amy," Antonia breathlessly announces when she reaches the adults in the living room.

"Come see," Emily grabs hold of Rose's hand and pulls her to her feet, dragging Rose behind her as the rest of the adults follow. They stop again right in the open doorway, the adults share glances but remain silent and it's the girls' giggles that bring Amy and Ephram out of their own worlds.

Amy blushes and runs a hand through her hair as Ephram states, "so Amy and I are..."

"Dude, back together after all theses years, awesome!" Bright enthusiastically cuts in.

"Oh my God," Amy covers her face with her hands.

"We'll be in the living room," Andy states, "why don't you guys talk to the kids."

Ephram nods and once the other adults have left the room he lifts both Antonia and Emily up onto the kitchen counter so that they are at eye level with both Amy and Ephram. "What are you guys thinking?"

"You and Mommy kissed!" Emily announces.

Amy smiles and gently touches Emily's dark head, "that's right. Ephram and I did kiss, but what do you think about that? About Ephram and me dating, being a family?"

Antonia's eyes narrow, "aren't we already a family?"

Ephram and Amy share a glance and Amy asks, "do you to remember what we told you guys before we all moved in together?"

Emily nods seriously, "you said that you were just friend helping each other."

Ephram nods, "that's right. And we said that we weren't going to get married and that we aren't dating. But some of that's changed," Ephram pauses trying to figure out how best to explain the situation to the two young girls. "Amy and I used to date when we were in high school..."

"Like Erin?" Antonia asks.

"Like Erin'a age, that's right. And we loved each other very much but we couldn't make things work." Ephram explains.

"Why not?" Emily asks.

"It was complicated," Amy responds.

"Why?" Antonia asks, "if you love each other you should get married."

Ephram laughs, "out of the mouths of babes. You're right Antonia, but sometimes adults are silly."

Antonia and Emily exchange seriously looks and then nod, "yup."

"So are you getting married?" Antonia asks as Emily, always the quieter of the two, nods along with the question.

"Maybe one day," Amy responds and then asks, "would that be okay?"

Emily nods, and completely out of character exclaims, "yeah! Antonia and I've been talking about it forever and ever!"

"You've been talking about us getting married?" Ephram asks.

Antonia nods, "we wanted you to get married so we could be sisters."

"Okay then," Amy laughs.

"Can we go play now?" Emily requests.

"Of course," Amy and Ephram help the girls slide off of the counter and hurry out of the room.

Ephram stares at Amy, "are we the only one's who haven't been waiting for us to get back together?"

"I don't think Alyssa has," Amy laughs before wrapping her arms around Ephram and resting her head on his chest.

"As much as I would love to be right here," Ephram states, "if we don't get out there Bright's going to think that we're having sex on the kitchen counter."

* * *

"Mommy you look beautiful," Emily and Antonia are perched on Amy's bed watching her as she slips on a delicate necklace with a single pearl.

"You think so?" Amy asks turning to face the girls.

"The most beautifulist person in the whole entire world," Antonia adds.

Amy grins, "wow, such a compliment." She turns back to face her full length mirror, she'd bought a new dress for Bright's New Years party. A black halter dress that was completely backless and with a plunging neckline that she'd almost chickened out of until Noelle, her shopping partner, had forced her to buy it and a skirt that fell straight to the floor. She applies her final coat of lipstick as the doorbell rings downstairs, turning to the girls she kisses both of them leaving their favorite "lipstick kisses". "You two be good for Erin, because she's doing us a huge favor watching you guys so we can go to Uncle Bright's party okay?"

"Okay," both girls nod, "Erin said we can watch a movie and stay up late."

Amy nods, "that's right. Just be good or Erin can put you to bed when she puts Alyssa to bed."

"We'll be good," Emily assures quickly.

"Good," Amy smiles at them, "now come on let's go see Erin."

"Erin!" Both girls go tearing out of the room and down the stairs and into the arms of their very favorite baby-sitter.

"Thank you so much Erin," Ephram is saying when Amy descends the stairs, "I know you probably could be out doing something much cooler then baby-sitting on New Years Eve."

"Cooler then hanging out with Antonia and Emily?" Erin asks with a smile. "Amy you look awesome."

Erin's words cause Ephram to move his gaze to Amy and his eyes go wide, "you look...wow..."

Amy smiles, moving to stand beside Ephram, "thanks. Make yourself at home Erin, we won't be much later then two."

"It's fine, whenever," Erin waves her off, "have fun."

"Okay, hugs and kisses," Amy orders gently crouching down so she can hug each of the three girls waiting in front of her.

"We'll see you guys in the morning," Ephram adds, copying Amy's stance and actions.

"Bye Dadda," Alyssa waves moving easily from Ephram's hug to Erin's arms.

"You look gorgeous," Ephram states once he and Amy have stepped into the garage and his arms wrap around her waist. After his words Ephram kisses gently along Amy's collarbone and up her neck, "you know we could skip this party altogether, I could rent us a nice little hotel room for two..."

"As high school prom-ish as that sounds, I would love to," Amy responds.

"Really?" Ephram is surprised by this because Amy has seemed excited about the party.

"But..."

"I should have seen that coming," Ephram groans.

"It's just, I want to go out as a couple," Amy states, "but we can leave the party early and ring in the New Year at home?"

"With a sleep-over?" Ephram asks grinning at the memory of the night before. The girls had all developed bad colds soon after going to bed on Christmas which prevented Amy and Ephram from, as Bright put it, having ten years worth of make-up sex. Last night had been the first night everyone was well enough to sleep through the night but Antonia had come out of her bedroom in time to see Ephram begin to follow Amy into hers. Antonia had asked if they were having a sleep-over and after receiving a semi-positive answer to that she asked if she and Emily could come too. So instead of spending the night in each other's arms Amy and Ephram had spent the night with their kids' arms wrapped around them.

"Yeah, a sleep-over, and this time no kids," Amy promises with a kiss.

"Fair enough," Ephram returns with a last lingering look before he moves toward the drivers side of the car.

* * *

"Who would have thought that Bright could host a party that's not based around a keg?" Ephram asks as they pull out of Bright's driveway.

"I dunno," Amy shrugs, "the same person who thought we'd be back together after ten years, I guess."

"Good point," Ephram responds while grabbing Amy's hand, their fingers automatically lacing together. "You had fun?"

"I did," Amy nods in the darkness. "Although I spent most of the time answering people's questions about if we were really back together."

"And you told them?"

"That we were and we were going to make it work this time, although I had to assure Laura that we wouldn't follow in the footsteps of our predecessors and run off to Las Vegas and get married."

Ephram laughs, and then still with a laughing tone in his voice suggests, "I have money in my wallet for Erin, do you want to get it all ready for her so we can get rid of her as quickly as possible?"

"You should know," Amy teases, "I don't have sex on the first day, I'm not that kind of girl."

"Good thing this isn't out first date then," Ephram responds as he pulls onto their street and leans over to kiss Amy.

"Ephram, watch out!" Amy screeches as a police car comes flying around them.

"What the hell!" Ephram exclaims, "this is a residential..."

"Ephram," Amy's voice comes out choked as she squeezes Ephram's hand hard. Ephram hits the gas hard as he watches the police car fly into their driveway, and by the time they pull in the officers are already in the house. Amy reaches the house first, inside the house is brightly lit and she's aware of Alyssa's screaming coming from upstairs and one police officer heading for the stairs.

Ephram is right behind her when the female officer approaches them demanding harshly, "who are you?"

"I love here," Amy responds sharply, "what's going on?"

"We received a call from the house from a young girl in hysterics saying a scary man was in the house and had hit the baby-sitter."

Amy's knees almost buckle but she fights the urge to collapse and instead runs for the stairs, "Emily! Emily!" She takes the steps two at a time still calling for her daughter, as Alyssa's cries grow louder as do the cries of someone else. As she reaches the top of the stairs, with Ephram right behind her, she can hear the female police officer downstairs speaking into a walkie talkie.

"Amy! Daddy!" Antonia flings herself at Amy the instant she reaches the top of the stairs.

Amy hugs Antonia quickly before holding the young girl at arms distance so she can see her tear streaked face. She doesn't really need to hear the answer to the question she is about to ask but she asks anyway, "what happened? This is very important."

Antonia always strong, even for her young age, understands the gravity of the situation and calms her tears for long enough to speak, "a scary man took Emi. He knocked over Erin and then he took Emi."

She'd been expecting the words as soon as she'd seen the police car pull into the driveway but that doesn't prevent her from being knocked down at the words. Dropping her hands from Antonia she sinks to the floor, "Mark has Emily."


End file.
